Sewing machine



March 18, 1941. Q G, GlLBRTsoN 2,235,552

srswnmV MACHINE y Filed Feb. 9, 1940l Brani E. Eilher'smngz 2% @jay @Maf/w @o Patented Mu. 1s, 1.941

UNITI-:D1 STATES',-

PATENT .OFFICE This invention relates generally to sewing machines, and more parti y. arly to a stitch regulating and reversing mechanism.

At the present tinie, manyconventional sewil ing machines are equippedwith astitohreeulator, but have no 1provisionfor reversing-the feed of material. Thfi'eforegthe' invention .has-

primarily for its object to p rvide an exceedingly simple and inexpensive stitch regulating aridreversing mechanism. l-

While the present .invention may be incor# porated; in vsewing machines as. standardfequip ment, the same is designed Vpartie'ulariyt'as areplacement for presentstitch regulators, whereby is the feedmechanism may bereversed for' darning and similar sewing operations. Y'

i Incidental to the foregoing, a more 'specific object Aofthe invention resides in the provision of a stitch regulator including-.manually reciprrocal means for quickly reversing the feed mech-V anism, without affecting the stitch.

Another object resides in .the provision ofrelsilient means forholding the reulator adV reversing block in its adjusted s'et lpositions.

Another object is to provide a. mechanism of i n n replacing the standard stitch regulator with. which conventional sewing'A the foregoing `type for machines are now equipped, and' which requires no change in the structure of the machine.` With the 'above and other objects in View, which win appear as the description proceedi.V the invention resides in the novel construction, combination, 'and arrangement of partajsubstantially as hereinafter described, and more particularly Adefined by the appended claims, vit being understood that such changes in the'pre; cise embodiment of thev her'einudisclosed havention may be made as come within the scope of the claims. L0 In the accompanying one complete example of the physical emb'odi ment ofthe present invention constructed according to the best mode so far devised for the practical application of the principles thereof. 45 In the drawing: f

Figure 1 is a vertical section through the. col,- unm of a `conventional sewing machine 'eduipped with the present invention,.the view being taken on the line I-I. of Figure.2; `1 50 Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2--2 of Figure 1;"and Figure 3 is a fragmentary lsection illustrating a conventional stitch regulating mechanism to be replaced by the present invention. 5s Referring now more particularly to the acreleasably hold the block v 2l,y after passing over center, drawing is illustrated companying drawing, the numeral I designates a plate provided-with av vertical column 2 that carries an overhead arm 3.

Journaled in'thevcolumn 2 is a drivenshaft l, upon which an eccentric vcam 5 is secured.' 5 Mounted within the column is a reciprocative anni, bifurcated at its upper endfor reception offthecam Land connected at its lower end to. an arm 1 secured to a rocker shaft 8, which actuates fa. conventional feed mechanism (not 10 shown).

Pivotally mounted on a. stud 9, threaded in the=column 2, is a longitudinally grooved guide block VIl for reception of a roller Il carried by thearm 1B. For the purpose of adjustment, the '15 roller lIl is mounted on an eccentric electric pin I2 carried by a disc I3 provided with a threaded stud il, extendingthrough the arm- 6 and secured in adjusted position by a nut I5. Threaded into the column 2 is a sleeve I6, which car- 20 ries a slidable shank I1, threaded at its outer' end for reception of a thumb-nut I8, providing for adjustment and reciprocation of the shank within the sleeve I6.

Slidably mounted in the back of the grooved 25 block Il is an arm I8, terminating in a lateral finger 2l, which passes through the end of the shank Il.- A v'spring 2|, mounted onthe arm I9 between the Iblock I0 and shank I1, serves to Y Ill and shank I1 in 30 their relative set positions. I

In the position of the parts illustrated in Figure l, the spring 2l urges the shank I1, which :is slidably journaled in the sleeve I6, to its retracted position, in which the' thumbnut I8v en- 35 gages'the end of the sleeve. When the shank I1 is withdrawn to shift the angle of the 'block Ii for reversing the direction of feed, the spring then urges and holds the shank. in its projected position. If it were not for the'spring 2l, action of the roller II within the guide block I0 might readily shift the vangle position of the block I0 and the shank I1 within the sleeve I6.

In operation, the angle of the grooved block Ill is varied by adjustment of the thumb-nutV I8. Obviously, as the angle of the groove is reduced, reciprocative movement of the arm 6 is correspondingly reduced, thus imparting shorter movement to the rocker shaft 8 which actuates 50 the feeding mechanism, and, consequently, 'reducing-the length of the stitch;

When it is desired -to reverse the feeding mechanism, the thumb-nut I8 and shank I1 are pulledoutwardly until 'the arm 20 abuts the inso ner end of the sleeve It. thus reversing the angle oi' the groove and the rocking operation of the shaft l with relation to the vertical movement of the conventional feeding `mechanism (not shown). When the shank l1 is in its withdrawn position, the length of the stitch is regulated by adjustment of the sleeve IB. the inner end of which is engaged by the arm I9.

Figure 3 illustrates standard stitch regulating mechanism with which many sewing machines are now equipped, and comprises a thumbscrew 22 threaded in the column 2, and provided at its inner end with an annular groove 23 for reception of a lug 24 carried by an ear 25 extending from the grooved block Ill'. These parts are removed and replaced with the block i9, the

threaded sleeve I6, and the shank I1, comprising the present invention; thus converting. old types of machines to provide for reversing vof feed, and, consequently, the direction of stitching.

From the foregoing explanation considered in connection with the accompanying drawing, it will be seen that an exceedingly simple and inexpensive mechanism has been provided for both regulating and quickly reversing the direction of feed in a sewing machine, thus materially facilitating the operation of darning and the like without the necessity of an awkward operation in turning the goods to be stitched, as required by present conventional machines not equipped with a reversing feed mechanism.

I claim:

1. In a sewing machine including a hollow column, a driven shaft journaled in said column, and an oscillating and reciprocative arm operal l v tively connected with said shaft for actuating a feed mechanism; a stitch regulating and reversing mechanism mounted in said column and comprising, a guide block pivotally mounted in the column for effecting longitudinal reciprocative movement ot said arm during oscillation imparted thereto by said driven shaft, a sleeve threaded in said column, an adjustable shank v slidabiy mounted in said sleeve, an arm connecting said block and shank. and resilient means for releasably holding said block in adjusted position.

2. In a sewing lmachine including a hollow column, a driven shaft journaled in said column, a cam mounted on said shaft, and an oscillating and reciprocative arm actuated by said cam; a stitch regulating and reversing mechanism mounted in said column and comprising, a grooved guide block pivotally mounted Ain the column, a roller carried by said arm and longitudinally movable in lthe groove of said guide block for eifecting longitudinal reciprocative movement of said arm during Oscillation imparted thereto by said cam, a sleeve threaded in lsaid column, a shank slidably mounted in said sleeve, a thumb-nut threaded on the. outer end of said shank for manual longitudinal adjustment and shifting of said shank within the sleeve, an arm slidably carried by said guide block and pivotally connected to the inner end of said shank, and a coiled spring mounted on sai.; arm

for releasably retaining said block in adjusted and l set positions. v

GRANT G. GILBERTSON. 

